Pressure transmitters are used in industrial process control environments and couple to the process fluid through impulse lines. Pressure measurements can be used to measure flow, or level, for example. The impulse lines can become plugged over time, which also adversely affects calibration.
Disassembly and inspection of the impulse lines is one method used to detect and correct plugging of lines. Another known method for detecting plugging is to periodically add a “check pulse” to the measurement signal from a pressure transmitter. This check pulse causes a control system connected to the transmitter to disturb the flow. If the pressure transmitter fails to accurately sense the flow disturbance, an alarm signal is generated indicating line plugging. Another known method for detecting plugging is sensing of both static and differential pressures. If there is inadequate correlation between oscillations in the static and differential pressures, then an alarm signal is generated indicating line plugging. Still another known method for detecting line plugging is to sense static pressures and pass them through high pass and low pass filters. Noise signals obtained from the filters are compared to a threshold, and if variance in the noise is less than the threshold, then an alarm signal indicates that the line is blocked.
These known methods use techniques which can increase the complexity and reduce reliability of the devices. There is thus a need for a better diagnostic technology providing more predictive, less reactive maintenance for reducing cost or improving reliability.